PUBLISHED 12.24.16

High Demand for Professional Massage Therapists

Did you know that the demand for massage therapists exceeds the actual amount of massage therapists seeking employment?

In fact, according to the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, massage therapy is the fastest growing occupation in the country.

Employment opportunities are expected to grow 22 percent through 2024, which is “much faster than average” when compared to other occupations.

We spoke with Cary Underwood, a regional recruiter; and Brent Richards, an area director for Massage Envy, the popular nationwide wellness franchise, and learned that the need for professional massage therapists is indeed very high.

Richards gave us the example of a recruitment project he conducted in which he sent out 20 resumes on a Saturday at 7:30 pm. There was a response within 15 minutes—and remember—this was at night on a Saturday.

He also informed us that he could hire 20 therapists at the Arizona Massage Envy locations he directs, and still have enough work to go around.

Take Underwood as an example of how in demand massage therapists are that her sole job is to recruit massage therapists. In fact, the demand is so high that Massage Envy has a recruiter for every region. Massage Envy recruiters even visit massage therapy schoolsand speak with the students about the opportunities available to them after they graduate from massage therapy school.

And aside from working for a successful national chain such as Massage Envy, there are a multitude of other opportunities available to professional massage therapists.

You can work in spas, salons, resorts; at clinics, chiropractic offices, hospitals; or even with athletes and sports teams. After graduating from an accredited massage therapy school such as Finger Lakes School of Massage, many opportunities await you.